Florida man charged in killing over toilet paper

February 21, 2006

MIAMI (Reuters) – A Florida man has confessed to
bludgeoning his roommate to death with a sledgehammer handle
and a claw hammer after an argument that started over an empty
roll of toilet paper, authorities said on Tuesday.

Franklin Paul Crow, 56, was arrested early on Monday and
later charged with murder in the beating death of 58-year-old
Kenneth Matthews in the small town of Moss Bluff, according to
the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Jimmy Pogue said Crow told investigators he grabbed
the sledgehammer and claw hammer after Matthews, who rented the
mobile home where the two lived, armed himself with a rifle
during their altercation.

He later confessed to using the work tools to strike
Matthews, who was so badly beaten he had to be identified
through fingerprints, about 10 times, Pogue said.

“There were only two people there, Mr. Crow and Mr.
Matthews, and unfortunately Mr. Matthews is deceased, so we
pretty much just have to go by what Mr. Crow says,” Pogue said.
“He says that the argument started over an empty roll of toilet
paper.”

Crow was being held in the Marion County jail without bond.
His court-appointed lawyer could not be reached for immediate
comment.